H-E-B knocks Trader Joe’s out of top spot as best U.S. grocery retailer, survey says

HOUSTON – Texas-based H-E-B has dethroned Trader Joe’s as top U.S. grocery retailer, according to a shoppers survey.

Dunnhumby released its third annual Retailer Preference Index, a nationwide study that examines the $700 billion U.S. Grocery market. H-E-B bumped Trader Joe’s for the first time on the top U.S. grocery retailer list. Trader Joe’s held the top spot for the last two years but this year, H-E-B jumped ahead, also surpassing Amazon and Costco.

Here’s how other grocery retailers ranked based on the highest overall customer preference index scores:

1.) H-E-B

2.) Trader Joe’s

3.) Amazon

4.) Market Basket

5.) Wegmans Food Markets

6.) Costco

7.) Aldi

8.) Sam’s Club

9.) Walmart

10.) Publix

11.) WinCo Foods

12.) Fresh Thyme

13.) Sprouts Farmers Markets

14.) ShopRite

The RPI study surveyed 7,000 U.S. households to decide which of the top 60 largest grocery retailers have the strongest combination of financial performance and consumer point of view. The overall RPI ranking evaluates retailer performance on seven pillars— price, quality, digital, operations, convenience, discounts/rewards and speed, according to its website.

“One of the most important findings is that leading traditional regional grocers are experiencing a resurgence in customer preference, by winning with relevance and convenience,” said Jose Gomes, President of North America for dunnhumby. “If they can compete on price and quality — the value core for grocers — they are especially well-positioned to fend off the growing threat of non-traditional players. This also leaves them better insulated against an economic downturn. In the end, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to winning in this market, and retailers with Customer First strategies are most likely to fare best.”